Web cutting device

ABSTRACT

THERE IS DISCLOSED A CUTTING DEVICE FOR SEVERING THE WET FELT WEBS OF A PAPER MACHINE. THE CUTTING DEVICE IS A U-SHAPED BLADE HOLDING FRAME COMPRISING, A TOP PORTION HAVING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SLOT THERETHROUGH, A BUTT PORTION CONNECTING SAID TOP PORTION TO A BOTTOM PORTION, SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS SPACED SUFFICIENTLY APART BY SAID BUTT PORTION TO ACCOMMODATE A FELT PAPER MACHINE WEB, A CUTTER BLADE EXTENDING FROM THE TRANSVERSE SLOT IN SAID TOP PORTION AND HELD IN PLACE THEREBY TO SAID BOTTOM PORTION, AND MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID TOP PORTION FOR PULLING SAID CUTTING DEVICE ACROSS SAID WEB.

United States Patent Witsell 1 June 28, 1974 1 WEB CUTTING DEVICE [75] Inventor: John A. Witsell, North Charleston,

[73] Assignee: Westvaco Corporation, New York,

Primary Examiner-A1 Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-J. C. Peters Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard L. Schmalz; Ernest B. Lipscomb, Ill

[5 7] ABSTRACT There is disclosed a cutting device for severing the wet felt webs of a paper machine. The cutting device is a U-shaped blade holding frame comprising, a top portion having a transversely extending slot therethrough, a butt portion connecting said top portion to a bottom portion, said top and bottom portions spaced sufficiently apart by said butt portion to accommodate a felt paper machine web, a cutter blade extending from the transverse slot in said top portion and held in place thereby to said bottom portion, and means attached to said top portion for pulling said cutting device across said web.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures WEB CUTTING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a web cutting device. More particularly, this invention relates to a cutting device for severing the wet felt webs of a paper machine.

Periodically the felt webs of paper machines must be replaced with new felt web. These felt webs are necessary to remove water from the freshly laid paper. These felt webs are as wide as the paper machine and are formed into one continuous web. To remove these webs from the machine is a difficult and hazardous task as the operator must enter the machine and cut the web with a knife by hand.

Recent safety regulations now require that the main drive on paper machines be down, i.e., shut off, before an operator can pass through the paper machine proper to sever the wet felt web. If the main drive is not shut down and the clutch fails, the web section starts moving while the felt is being cut and theman doing the cutting may be severely injured. This cutting device of this invention overcomes this objection as it allows the main drive the remain running and the web to be cut without possible injury to the operating personnel.

Accordingly, the general object of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus for cutting the wet felt web of a paper machine while the main drive is still running. Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for severing paper machine felt that is safe. Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus for cutting the felt web of the paper machine easily and efficiently.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In general, the objects of this invention and other related objects are accomplished by providing a U- shaped holder for a blade with a razor edge. The blade is firmly held in place approximately in the middle of the top and bottom portions of the blade holder, the top and bottom portions forming the legs of the U. The device is pulled across the web with the cutting blade approximately perpendicular to the direction of travel of the web to thereby sever the wet felt web.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The novel features which are believed to be charac-.

teristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation may be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the ac companying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the paper machine felt web cutting device;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the web cutting device; and

FIG. 3 is a vertical side view of the device taken sub stantially along the plane A-A of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. I the cutting device of this invention indicated generally by the numeral which may efficaciously be used to sever a paper machine felt web while the main drive of the paper machine is running without anyone in the paper machine proper. The term in the paper ma chine refers to the hazardous areas between the machine frames.

As will be appreciated from a consideration of the drawing, the cutting device 10 consists basically of a U-shaped blade holder frame having a bottom portion 12, a butt portion 14, and a top portion 16. The top portion 16 and the bottom portion 12 are normally rectangular with the longer side perpendicular to the direction of the web. The top portion is somewhat longer than the bottom portion, as will be explained hereinafter. I

Top portion 16 includes removable blade holder plate 22. Blade holder plate 22 is held in place with screws 26,26 and forms a transversely extending blade holding slot 18 for cutting blade 20. Screws 26,26 may be removed from blade holder plate 22 to install or replace cutter blade 20. Blade holder plate 22 serves to cutting device as it severs the felt web. The butt portion 14 is of such height as to sufficiently separate the top and bottom portions for accommodating the felt web. The top portion 16 is attached with screws 32 either through the butt portion 14 to the bottom portion 12,

or if the butt portion 14 is made integral with the bottom portion 12, the top portion may be attached to the butt portion alone.

As shown in FIG. 3 taken along line A-A of FIG. 1, bottom portion 12 has therein a cutter blade receiving means designated 30, which is a slot, for securing the lower end of the cutting blade. The front edge 40 of bottom portion 12 is preferably rounded for easy placement on the felt web. Top portion 16 is generally somewhat longer than bottom portion 12 and contains therein hole 34 through which rope 36 or other pulling means is attached. Top portion 16 also may include rounded front edge 42 and holes 38.

The blade holder frame 10 may be constructed of plastic or matel, such as aluminum or the like. Although any suitable cutter blade may be used, it should have a razor edge, such as Stanly knife blade No. 1991.

In operation, the cutting device has a rope attached to the top portion through hole 34. Initially, the rope is thrown through the paper machine at the location the felt web is to be cut. The cutting device is properly placed over the edge of the felt and pulled across the machine with the rope to sever the felt web. Significantly, with this invention, the felt cutting can be accomplished with no one in the paper machine and while the main machine drive is still running; Therefore still having power to run the severed felt ofi of the machine.

Although use in the paper industry for cutting wet felt webs which need replacing is the primary use of the cutting device of this invention, it will be appreciated that the cutting device could be used for any type of continuous fabric belt which could not be conveniently cut by band. From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction and operation of the cutting device will be readily understood, and further discussion of the invention it therefore believed to be unnessary. However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limited the invention to just that shown and described, but to all suitable modifications which may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the ap- I pended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. As a felt web cutting device for cutting suspended webs, a U-shaped blade holding frame comprising, a

cutting device across said web. 

